La lumière verte

Everyone's entitled to make a few stinky movies in his or her career, and we always forgive our favorites because everyone does it. Either they're stuck in a contract, or they had momentary bad taste but every actor and actress has stinky movies listed on their resumes. Even Errol Flynn.

The Green Light started out to be an interesting film. Errol, a dedicated doctor, makes a judgment call to operate on a patient, even though the main surgeon wasn't present. Halfway through the operation, a senior doctor shows up and takes over. The patient dies, and Errol willingly take the fall for it.

I assumed the rest of the movie would be about him trying to clear his name and get reinstated in the hospital. Unfortunately, his character had other plans. The title refers to a sermon delivered by Sir Cedric Hardwicke in the film, and as Errol's character was previously shown to not be a very religious person, it's pretty obvious what direction the movie plans to take. This isn't a hospital movie, it's a religious movie, so keep that in mind if you decide to rent it. Even if you usually like those movies, this one doesn't seem like it was thought out very well.

Lloyd Douglas was a popular author whose books, Magnificent Obsession, Demetrius and the Gladiators, the Robe, and this film, Green Light, were all made into films. Since Douglas was a Lutheran minister, his stories often had a spiritual theme.

In "Green Light," a surgeon (Errol Flynn) takes the rap for another surgeon (Henry O'Neill) when a patient dies during surgery. He is asked to resign his hospital position, which he does, and he joins a fellow doctor (Walter Abel) in his work to find a cure for spotted fever.

Cedric Hardwicke plays an Episcopal minister who is the spiritual adviser of the dead woman's daughter (Anita Louise) and Flynn's nurse (Margaret Lindsay). He is the voice of author Douglas.

The theme is self-sacrifice, that no person exists alone, and that we all are part of life's tapestry. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.

As others have pointed out, this is a different type of role for Errol Flynn. He doesn't quite nail it. Handsome and charming, Flynn was a sincere actor whose looks and athleticism made up for the fact that he very often didn't get under the skin of a role.

This role called for a more solid, contemplative approach. Someone on this board mentioned Tyrone Power, and I agree, he would have been a better choice.

Flynn was just too lightweight for this sort of part, though, like everything else he did, he gets away with it. He was a movie star first, and that covered a multitude of sins.

Lindsay and Louise don't have much to do. Hardwicke imbues his role with a great deal of dignity.

A definite for Flynn fans to see him do a role against type.

If I should choose one American director for the twenties/thirties,I would take Frank Borzage any day.

This is a film of a believer ,but a believer who never falls into the trap of bigotry:the "green light" of the title is the light that comes from the sky,the light of hope which should enlighten everyone.His early silent movies (particularly "Humoresque" ) displays a strong faith in a divine intervention provided that you are worthy of it."Seventh Heaven" ,"Little man what now" ,to name but two,featured characters who had nothing,nothing but their love for each other and their faith in providence.It would culminate in 1940 with Borzage's masterpieces,"the mortal storm" and "Strange cargo",particularly the latter where Cambreau becomes some kind of messiah.

Eroll Flynn,cast against type ,-but portraying a physician who predates his role in Walsh's "Uncertain Glory" where he finally sacrifices everything- ,gave all:first he took the blame for an operation which cost a patient her life;then he acted as his own guinea pig for his vaccine.It often recalls "magnificent obsession" (the first version by J.Stahl was released two years before):both works feature a man of God : the man who tells the hero of "obsession" a man died on the cross for man's salvation,the priest in "green light".The choir in the church which we heard at the beginning returns for a canticle which climaxes the movie .Be prepared to sacrifice anything and do not ask anything in return,there will be a reward anyway.

Green Light is beautifully directed, has a first rate score, and has a melodramatic mood throughout that makes it wonderful to watch. It relates the story of a young doctor who takes the fall for an elder doctor's mistake. Errol Flynn delivers a fine performance as does Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Margaret Lindsay, and Walter Abel.

It is a terrible reality that so many fine classics are not yet available on DVD. In my opinion, better than its rating. Fans of Flynn will not be disappointed.

Errol Flynn stars as idealistic young doctor who takes the blame for a botched operation that costs a woman her life. Why he does this is supposed to be noble but seems stupid to me. After he's dismissed by the hospital, he joins a friend (Walter Abel) researching a cure for spotted fever. Abel has lots to say about ticks and spotted fever, so have a pencil and paper handy.

An odd movie, especially for Flynn. What makes it odd isn't the medical melodrama I summarized above. Those types of movies were a dime a dozen back then. No, what makes it odd and also fascinating is the inclusion of spiritual themes. In particular Cedric Hardwicke's character. Hardwicke plays a perspicacious reverend, equal parts Mr. Miyagi and Gandalf. His scenes are some of the movie's most interesting. Errol's love interest choices are Anita Louise and Margaret Lindsay. I won't spoil which he picks but it wasn't the one I was rooting for. The cinematography and score are excellent, as is Frank Borzage's direction. It's a very good-looking movie. Not always successful but intriguing in many ways. Definitely worth recommending.